There is a well-known phrase to go over like a lead balloon (originally a joking response to how did it go over?, meaning "how was it received?") - a lead balloon would not "go over" at all, but would land with a thud. Perhaps most famously, this expression was used to predict the future of a new group being formed after the breakup of the Yardbirds. They changed the spelling of "lead" so it wouldn't be mispronounced, and they changed the kind of airship... but Led Zeppelin ended up going over very well indeeed.
–
MT_HeadJun 21 '11 at 7:03

3 Answers
3

In this specific context I would suggest "landed with a splash" or (better) "made a splash" as an antonym.

However, this is a metaphorical use of "landed with a thud" which means something almost the opposite of what you would expect from the literal meaning. My suggestions don't apply to more general or literal uses of the phrase. If you really want to talk about an object not making a great deal of noise as it hits the ground, try "landed lightly" or "landed like a cat".

(Having said that, any cat owner will tell you that cats land with an enormous thud. Particularly if they are jumping off a high shelf onto your bed. While you are still in it.)